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Elano:
Angry Cristiano Ronaldo in Old Trafford tunnel rage
Dimitar Berbatov scored the goal that kept Manchester United hard on the heels of the Barclays Premier League pace-setters last night but a half-time skirmish involving Cristiano Ronaldo provided a darker focal point in the 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo spent most of the evening engaged in repeated clashes with Emanuel Pogatetz, the Middlesbrough captain, which threatened to boil over when the teams made their way to the dressing-rooms at the interval.
The players squared up to each other and went forehead to forehead, with witnesses saying that the squabble and shouting continued into the players' tunnel, where a member of Middlesbrough's backroom staff also railed at Ronaldo.
Ronaldo has history with Pogatetz — who was also sent off for an horrific challenge on Rodrigo Possebon, the United youngster, during a Carling Cup tie in September — and the players had to be separated as they left the field at half-time, with Ronaldo taking umbrage at being wrestled to the ground at a corner in first-half stoppage time. Ronaldo had protested vehemently to the match officials about the incident in which he felt that a penalty should have been awarded.
"I heard a lot of noise and saw some finger-pointing, but I don't think anything really went on," Gareth Southgate, the Middlesbrough manager, said. "The referee seemed pretty comfortable with it. There didn't seem to be much in it."
The matter is unlikely to go much further, but Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, may be concerned by the frequency with which Ronaldo has courted trouble in recent weeks, having aimed retaliatory kicks at Scott Brown, of Celtic, Michael Dawson, of Tottenham Hotspur, and Andy Wilkinson, of Stoke City, as well as earning a red card for two bookable offences against Manchester City.
Ferguson, who refuses to attend post-match press conferences in the Premier League, was not asked directly about the matter and, when the subject was broached by television interviewers, complained instead about referees' unwillingness to clamp down on jostling in the penalty area at dead-ball situations.
United remain seven points behind Liverpool, the leaders, but, having played two games fewer, Ferguson declared last night that he was happy to have ended a memorable year within what he considers striking distance of the top of the table.
Liverpool, like Chelsea, Arsenal and Aston Villa, have still to visit Old Trafford in the second half of the season and, while a game of catch-up is in prospect, Ferguson believes that United will win a third successive title.
"Yes I'm happy," the United manager said. "I think the first half of the season has been very difficult for us with the away fixtures that we've had, particularly after European matches, but we've managed to keep in there and we're in a position to challenge now."
Ferguson will hope also that there is more to come from Berbatov. The Bulgaria forward had scored just once in his previous ten appearances and has not yet lived up to expectations since his club record £30.75 million summer move from Tottenham Hotspur, but Ferguson said: "He's a great player. He took his goal tremendously well."
"I heard a lot of noise and saw some finger-pointing, but I don't think anything really went on," Gareth Southgate, the Middlesbrough manager, said. "The referee seemed pretty comfortable with it. There didn't seem to be much in it."
The matter is unlikely to go much further, but Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, may be concerned by the frequency with which Ronaldo has courted trouble in recent weeks, having aimed retaliatory kicks at Scott Brown, of Celtic, Michael Dawson, of Tottenham Hotspur, and Andy Wilkinson, of Stoke City, as well as earning a red card for two bookable offences against Manchester City.
Ferguson, who refuses to attend post-match press conferences in the Premier League, was not asked directly about the matter and, when the subject was broached by television interviewers, complained instead about referees' unwillingness to clamp down on jostling in the penalty area at dead-ball situations.
United remain seven points behind Liverpool, the leaders, but, having played two games fewer, Ferguson declared last night that he was happy to have ended a memorable year within what he considers striking distance of the top of the table.
Liverpool, like Chelsea, Arsenal and Aston Villa, have still to visit Old Trafford in the second half of the season and, while a game of catch-up is in prospect, Ferguson believes that United will win a third successive title.
"Yes I'm happy," the United manager said. "I think the first half of the season has been very difficult for us with the away fixtures that we've had, particularly after European matches, but we've managed to keep in there and we're in a position to challenge now."
Ferguson will hope also that there is more to come from Berbatov. The Bulgaria forward had scored just once in his previous ten appearances and has not yet lived up to expectations since his club record £30.75 million summer move from Tottenham Hotspur, but Ferguson said: "He's a great player. He took his goal tremendously well."
Only one person can replace Ferguson
It was during one of those familiar moments at this time of year, the mid-afternoon doze on the sofa, that Sir Alex Ferguson received the rude awakening that changed the course of recent football history. In the final days of 2001, a day or two short of his 60th birthday, Ferguson awoke to find his wife, Lady Cathy, standing above him, hands on hips, with their sons ready to back her up. "You," she said, giving him a shove. "You're not retiring. We've decided."
This heartwarming tale comes to mind whenever Ferguson reaches a milestone, whether it is a birthday - he turns 67 on Wednesday - or the recent 22nd anniversary of his appointment at Manchester United. One of these days, most probably behind closed doors at his Wilmslow home, Ferguson, with perhaps a little nudge from Lady Cathy, will reach the conclusion that he is, after all, the retiring type.
He has always maintained that he will not "do a Bobby Robson" and continue to manage beyond his 70th birthday, so that historic moment cannot be far away. Lady Cathy, after all, may be itching for the cruise she denied herself in 2002.
The disturbing thing for United is that Ferguson has begun to talk about retirement again. It is not a subject he likes to dwell on, but, whereas once queries met with a fierce glare and a robust defence of his health, these days he freely admits that the time is coming.
In May, two days after the mentally exhausting Champions League final triumph against Chelsea, he said that it would be "three years at the very, very most". Those close to him do not dare to second-guess him, but they suggest that it is just as likely to be the end of this season as in 2011. Most educated pundits would predict the end of next season, but he could feasibly decide to go at the end of this campaign. Whichever way, the clock is ticking.
It is a terrifying thought for the United hierarchy. There was a time around three years ago, shortly after the Glazer takeover, when replacing Ferguson seemed less a daunting challenge than one of those irksome jobs, like fixing the guttering, that would have to be addressed sooner rather than later.
There were a few potential candidates around to succeed him at the time, such as Fabio Capello and Guus Hiddink, not to mention José Mourinho and Arsène Wenger if they could be tempted, but perhaps that was merely because Ferguson's stock had fallen. Three years, two Premier League titles and a European Cup later, finding a man to follow Ferguson is a task to rival that of arresting the economic downturn.
David Gill, the chief executive, is known to like the idea of a British successor to Ferguson, ideally someone with an historical link to the club, but Mark Hughes, the best of the Old Trafford alumni, has taken on a different challenge, at Manchester City, while Roy Keane, Paul Ince, Steve Bruce and others have not measured up to the required standard.
But who does measure up? Martin O'Neill would have his supporters, having performed admirably at Aston Villa (albeit with greater financial backing than anyone cares to mention), but would be far from a shoo-in. Mourinho's track record almost guarantees success, but his methods fly in the face of United's cavalier traditions, as laid out by Ferguson and by Sir Matt Busby long before him. Josep Guardiola is making a strong impression in his first season at Barcelona, but this is merely a coaching role, in which he is ably assisted by a strong director of football, Txiki Beguiristain.
Unless a complete overhaul of United's coaching structure was planned, a novice such as Guardiola could not be considered.
Do you know whose name keeps coming to mind? Capello's. At 62 he is no spring chicken, but, crucially, he has the experience, having had two spells in charge of both AC Milan and Real Madrid, and is a proven winner. There will be those who would deny that United would dare to poach the England manager, but Sven-Göran Eriksson had been lined up to succeed Ferguson in 2002.
Others will say that Capello would not be interested, that the England job trumps everything. But whatever the prestige of the England post, which has been held in recent years by such luminaries as Graham Taylor, Kevin Keegan and Steve McClaren, the challenge of following in Ferguson's footsteps would be far, far bigger.
Perhaps it would be too big for Capello. Perhaps he would be reluctant to break his contract with the FA. Perhaps, at his age, he prefers the gentler pace of international football (although even Eriksson, hardly a workaholic, missed the day-to-day involvement of the club game).
But he would be the stand-out candidate when the dreaded moment comes that Ferguson and, of course, his good lady wife, decide to call it a day.
es-jay:
--- Quote from: The Krasnoe Dinamo on December 29, 2008, 10:50:15 PM ---...may be concerned by the frequency with which Ronaldo has courted trouble in recent weeks, having aimed retaliatory kicks at Scott Brown, of Celtic, Michael Dawson, of Tottenham Hotspur, and Andy Wilkinson, of Stoke City...
--- End quote ---
yet he goes unpunished. hes like a spoilt child.
Boo-Yaa †:
Whit a goal!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/v/qYVlwBzYATM&ap=%2526fmt%3D18
:cow:
es-jay:
first post of 2009 in the Football thread!
what do we think of the FA Cup, eh? shock exit for Man City, and now Liverpool - Everton and Manchester United - Tottenham in the 4th round. nice.
da_notorious_mack:
heres a question...whose more worried about fernandos return??...robbie keane or the rest of the Prem?? ;D
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